Automobile torpedo.



F. W. DODD.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,1914.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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11115: y wfi M Al F. W. DODD.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21.1914.

31 1 73,563., Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FRANK W. DODD, OF BLACKHEATH PARK, ENGLAND.

AUTOMOBILE TOBPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,243.

Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification. h

This invention relates to automobile torpedoes, the chief object being to eiiiciently propel such vessels by the direct and sole action of a jet or stream of water under pressure, that is to say, without utilizing a turbine or other motor and a propeller.

The application of the principle of jet propulsion or in other words the utilization of a jet or stream of water under pressure as the propelling agent, has not afforded any useful degree of efliciency hitherto, because, owing to the extremely small amount of power available in comparison wlth the weight and displacement of the vessel, it has been impossible to eject a sufiicient quantity of water in a given time at the correct velocity for insuring efficiency. Moreover, no arrangement hitherto proposed embodies any attempt at ejecting a quantity of water approximating in any way to the necessities of the case, or to ejecting this water at the pressures or velocities necessary to secure efficiency. The comparatively low pressures necessary for ejecting water etliciently in jet or stream form from a torpedo offer very great advantages for the economical expansion of the compressed air or other elastic motive fluid stored in the reservoir of the torpedo.

The present invention is applied to the modern type of torpedo, which possesses an enormous reserve of power in'proportion to its weight and displacement, and consists in utilizing as the direct and sole propelling agent water under pressure in jet or stream form obtained by admitting the water to one or more tubes or cylinders in the torpedo and ejecting it rearwardly therefrom by means of the pressure and expansion of compressed air derived from the air chambers of the torpedo. Owing to the high degree of compression of the air, which is preferably intensified by heating it in any known manner, suflicient horse power is available to propel the torpedo at a very high speed, say forty knots or more.

such a speed and with the aid of apparatus hereinafter described, it is quite possible to e ect a suflicient amount of water at the correct velocity for economically utilizing v the power represented by the heated compressed alr. At a given speed and with a given horse power, the size of jet and velocity of ejection necessary for maximum efliclency have fixed and definite values, and the apparatus hereinafter described is designed to suit such requirements.

In one constructional form of the means adapted for obtaining the jet or stream of water bywhich the torpedo is propelled several tubes or cylinders are arranged longitudinally-side by side in the rear part of the torpedo, one end of each cylinder being adapted for alternate admission and expulsion of the compressed air and the other end adapted for corresponding ejection and admission of water. In each cylinder a loose piston is provided to move to and fro at the surface of the water charges in order to prevent actual contact between the hot air and the cold water. The admission and ejection of the air take place at the front ends of the cylinders by way of a single rotary valve having control over the cylinders successively.

It is desirable to insure that the admission of compressed air to the working cylinders is cut off at a definite portion of the stroke of the piston so that'the quantity of compressed air admitted to each cylinder for each stroke is constant irrespective of any variations that may occur in the conditions under which the torpedo is acting at any time, such for example as variations of speed, depth of immersion, and pressure of the compressed air, and consequent variations in the time taken to empty the cylinders. For this purpose the admission of compressed air to any working cylinder and its exhaust therefrom may be controlled by one valve, which may conveniently be a rotary form of valve common to all the cylinders as above stated, but the supply of the air'to each Working cylinder by way of this control valve may be cut off at a definite portion of the stroke of the piston of each cylinder by means of a second valve for each. cylinder, the cutting-off action of which is dependent upon the movement of the piston, but independent of the movement of the control valve. The chamber in which the cut-off valve of each cylinder works is formed with one or more inlet ports for the admission of compressed air and with one or more outlet ports for the passage of the compressed air from the chamber to the rotary control valve, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The admission and e ection of the water may take place at the rear end of the working cylinders by way of inlet valves and outlet valves or ports, the latter communicating by means of the shortest and simplest passages possible with a slngle e ection nozzle located on the axis of the torpedo.

Each outlet valve or port, which is normally closed, is so constructed as to present at a predetermined ejection pressure a clear passage necessitating no deflectlon 1n the flow of the escaping water, and to automatleally adjust the size of the-passage In response to momentary changes 1n the quantity of water being passed. In one constructional form, the outlet valve for each cylinder is of flap form, and consists of two plates which are hinged to the wall of the outlet passage and are sprlng-controlled 1n such a manner that their free edges are normally pressed together or upon one or more transverse abutments or stops, in a mid position in the said passage. The provision of any form of valve that necessitates deflection in the flow of water is thus obviated and moreover a waste of water by premature ejection at unsuitably low pressure is prevented.

The jet-propelling means as a Whole are contained within a chamber which is filled with water by being placed in communication with the surrounding water. This communication may be by way of openings which are situated at the forward end of the said chamber and are so shaped or constructed as to produce pressure in the chamber, due to the speed of the torpedo. Under the influence of the pressure thus produced the working cylinders are normally filled with water, but are successively placed in communication with the heated compressed air, whereupon the water in the tubes is forced from the cylinders through the outlet valves to the common ejection nozzle. the working cylinders through openings in the surrounding chamber, an open-ended tube maybe arranged to extend axially to the nose of the torpedo through the reservoircontaining the compressed air.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the rear part of a torpedo adapted to be jet-propelled by one constructional arrangement in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal said wall.

Instead of conducting the water to considerable section showing one of the working cylinders and its accessories including the cutofi' valve arrangement for the compressed air, and the rotary distributing valve, and Figs. 3 and 4 are end views, from the right and left hand ends respectively.

In the drawings, each working cylinder is designated by A, the piston therein by B, the compressed air inlet and outlet passage by A', the rotary valve by C, the Water inlet valve by D, the water outlet valve by E, the water discharge pipe by F, and the ejection nozzle by G.

Referring first more particularly to Fig. 1 it is seen that the working cylinders, of which there may be several, say six, are inclosed in a chamber H forming a continuation of the compressed air reservoir J of the torpedo body, the rear end of the chamber tapering to merge into an extension G of the ejection nozzle G. Compressed air from the reservoir J passes by way of an outlet pipe J (through a heater, a starting valve, a reducing valve, and a stop valve, not shown) to the casing of the rotary valve C. This valve controls the passage of the compressed air to and from the several cylinders A successively by Way of the respective passages A. In Fig. 1 the upper cylinder is represented as receiving a charge of water admitted past the valve D, the air in front of the trunk piston B being expelled through the port of the combined distributing and exhaust .valve C, and the lower cylinder is represented as delivering its water charge through the water outlet valve E under the influence of the compressed air on the piston B. The chamberHsurrounding the cylinders A is flooded bywater admitted to it by way of an open ended tube K, which extends axially through the reservoir J to the nose of the torpedo. Alternatively, slightly bulging pockets H might be provided on the forward end of the cylindrical wall of the chamber H to direct the water through corresponding holes in the A deflecting cone L, situated axially inside the chamber H with its apex toward the nose of the torpedo, serves to deflect the water under pressure in the chamber on to the water inlet valves D.

The cylinders generally speaking will take much longer to fill than they will to empty themselves, as the filling pressure, due to the movement of the torpedo through the water, may be only about thirty pounds per square inch, whereas the ejecting pressure may have a mean value of five times that amount. Hence the advantage of a considerable number of successively acting cylinders, say six, each having available a interval between successive charges of the hot compressed air. The multiple-cylinder arrangement has the further advantage of tending to keep the. reactive the deflecting cone L and extending astern to the junction of the ejection nozzle G with its extension G. This extension is conical in order that, by the discharge of the exhaust air at its narrowest part, a little extra propelling power for the torpedo may be derived from the final expansion of the air in passing out through the said conical extension.

It will be understood that-the water which floods the chamber H is under pressuredue to the depth of submersion of the torpedo and to its speed, so that the tendency is for the cylinders A to be always full, and that the intermittent discharging of the water is effected by the admission of compressed air (preferably hot) to the cylinders by way of the rotary valve C.v Under a given set of conditions the time of emptying each cylinder may be fixed and fairly well known and it will therefore be possible to cut off the supply of compressed air at any desired instant during the discharge of the water from the cylinder.

It has already been explained that an early cut-off is preferably effected at a definite portion of the stroke of the piston in each cylinder, notwithstanding slight variations of speed, depth of submersion, and pressure of compressed air. One constructional arrangement for accompllshing this result is shown at the left hand end of Fig. 2 and will now be described. In this construction it is seen that the admission of compressed air to the cylinder A and its exhaust therefrom are controlled by the rotary valve C, which by cooperation with ports in its seat may conveniently act as a control or distributing valve common to all the cylinders but that the supply of air to the cylinder by way of this valve is cut off at a definite portion of the stroke of the piston B by means of a second valve P, the cutting off action of which is dependent upon the movement of the piston, but independent of the movement of the rotary control valve. It is to be understood that the rotary control valve, by cooperating with ports in its seat leading to the various working cylinders, acts as a distributing valve common to all the cylinders, and that its air inlet passage to the cylinders passes completely out of register with any one cylinder-inlet port before commencing to register With theport of the next cylinder, and similarly with respect to its air exhaust passage.

The particular form of cut-off valve shown works on the difler'ential principle and comprises a short cylinder which is axially slidable in. a chamber at the front of each working cylinder and connected by Webs to a rod or stem P one end of which passes through the end wall of the working cylinder so that it can assume a position to bear against the corresponding piston, the length of the stem of this cut-ofi valve being a fraction of the length of the stroke of the piston in the working cylinder. The chamber P in which each cut-off valve works is formed with one or more inlet ports P for the admission of compressed air and with one or more outlet ports 15 for the passage of the compressed air from the chamber P to the casing of the rotary control valve C.

It will be understood that the area exposed to airpressure at the front end of the valve P is in excess of that exposed at the rear end by an amount represented by the cross sectional area of the stem P.

When the compressed air flows through any inlet port P into the corresponding valve chamber P and thence through the outlet port or ports P to and past the control valve C to the corresponding working cylinder causing the piston in the latter to advance and drive out the water, the said cut-offvalve P and its stem P will advance also, until the valve covers the inlet port P in the chamber and thereby cuts oil the flow I of compressed air to the control valve, by way of this particular chamber. It will be understood that the movement of the cut-01f valve is controlled by the piston B in the working cylinder, because the stem of the exhaust passage of the control valve C regis-' ters successively with the exhaust ports of the cylinders, the expanded air escapes from the cylinders successively, and the pistons return successively under the influence of fresh supplies of water entering the cylinders. During the return stroke of each piston B, the latter eventually strikes the end of the corresponding cut-ofl" valve stem P,

and drives the same with it, to the end of its stroke, incidentally uncovering the corresponding port or ports P through which the compressed air passes to the control valve C, so that a fresh charge of compressed air will enter the respective cylinder A as soon as the inlet passage of the control valve C registers with the inlet port of the cylinder, whereupon the piston will again advance and the supply of compressed air will be again cutoff as already described.

Referring now to details of construction I it may be stated that any suitable means may be employed to drive the combined distributing and exhaust valve C. In Fig. 1, two arrangements are shown, either of which may be adopted. In each case a worm wheel C on the stem of the valve C is in gear with a worm on a shaft C but in the one case this shaft is rotated by a small motor N driven by compressed. air from the reservoir J and in the other case the said shaft is driven by a small propeller 0 through gearing C As to the actual construction of the valve C, the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is that of a. hollow cone with ports in it, rotatably mounted in a hollow conical casing into which the compressed air is admitted. Such a valve is free to expand backward away from the working conical surface of the casing and therefore its efficiency is not materially affected by heat expansion, as would be the case with a cylindrical valve. Moreover it is smaller in diameter and requires much less power to drive it than a flat disk rotary valve performing the same functions.

\Vith regard to the water inlet valves D, the particular form shown in the drawings is a ring, V-shaped in cross-section, and is held down upon its seating by two bolts D (Figs. 2 and 3) beneath the heads of which are arranged coil springs D so that the valve may rise off its seating against the action of the said springs.

As to the water outlet valves E, the two flaps shown in the drawing as constituting each valve are rectangular plates hinged to the walls of the outlet passage, which at this point is rectangular in cross section. The said hinged plates are controlled by spiral springs E which normally keep the free edges of the plates pressed together or against stops E projecting inwardly in a mid position in the passage.

It will be understood that during the filling of the cylinders, the hinged plates, being closed together, prevent the escape of water,

- but that when the water in any cylinder is to be ejected, the admission of compressed air to this cylinder creates a water pressure upon the hinged plates, which pressure eventually becomes superior to the predetermined pressure that normally keeps them in their closed position, whereupon the plates turn upon their hinges and present a rectangular opening necessitating no deflection of the flow of the escaping water.

The cylinders A may be wholly or in part lagged externally with asbestos. A further precaution against loss of heat from the hot compressed air consists in making the trunk pistons B as long as practicable, thereby preventing a considerable portion of the forward ends of the cylinders A from being exposed to direct contact with the water charges. The rear end of each piston may be fitted with a pad or washer of celluvert or other semi-hard material to further assist in the prevention of admixture between the air and the water and also to sweep ofl salt deposits from the interior of the cylinder.

As regards the heating of the air, this may be effected by any well known form of heating device. Fresh water may be used with this device to absorb surplus heat, and any steam generated by its evaporation may be used to increase the volume of the working fluid as is now commonly done.-

WVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A torpedo comprising a longitudinally disposed power cylinder, means for admit- -ting water to the said cylinder, a source of .inder is directly conducted from the rear end of the cylinder to the ejection nozzle to serve as a torpedo propelling agent.

2. In a torpedo, a water chamber, means for maintaining said chamber flooded, a cylinder located within said water chamber, a rearwardly directed ejection nozzle communicating at its forward end with said cylinder and at its rear end with the outside shell of the torpedo, means tending to maintain said cylinder flooded and means for admitting compressed air to said cylinder so as to discharge intermittently the water from the rear end of the cylinder to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent. 1 I

3. A torpedo comprising a water chamber, a compressed air reservoir, a cylinder disposed longitudinally within said water chamber, a rearwardly directed ejection nozzle communicating at its forward end with said cylinder and at its rear end with the outside shell of the torpedo, means for maintaining said water chamber flooded, means tending to maintain said cylinder flooded with water from the water chamber and means for periodically admitting compressed air to said cylinder so as to discharge intermittently the water from the rear end of the cylinder to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

4. A torpedo having a water chamber located rearwardly of the torpedo body, a

compressed air chamber disposed forwardly of said water chamber, a. cylinder disposed longitudinally within said water chamber, a rearwardly directed ejection nozzle communicating at its forward end with said cylinder and at its rear end with the outside .shell of the torpedo, means for maintaining said water chamber flooded with water, means for admitting water to said cylinder, and means for periodically admitting compressed air to said cylinder from said compressed air chamber so as to discharge the water from the rear end of the cylinder to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agents.

5. A torpedo having a water chamber located rearwardly of the torpedo body, a cylinder disposed longitudinally of said water chamber, a compressed air reservoir disposed forwardly of said water chamber, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle communicating at its forward end with said cylinder and at its rear end with the outside of the shell of the torpedo, means for maintaining said water chamber flooded, means for periodically placing the interior of said cylinder in communication with said water chamber and means for periodically admitting compressed air to said cylinder from said compressed air chamber so as to discharge the water from the rear end of the cylinder to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

6. A torpedo having a water chamber, for maintaining said chamber flooded, a cylinder within said Water chamber, means for supplying compressed power fluid to the cylinder to expel the water, an expansible water outlet valve presenting a clear undeflecting passage for the expelled water, and a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the water discharged from the rear end of the cylinder passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

4. A torpedo comprising a plurality of longitudinally disposed power cylinders,

means for admitting water to the said cylinders, a source otcompressed power fluld, means for periodically admitting power fluid to one horizontal end of each of said cylinders so that the same cylinder acts alternately as a water cylinder and as a cylinder for developing power from the compressed fluid by its expansion within the cylinder, a rearwardly directed ejection nozzle common to all the cylinders and means whereby the water discharged from each of the said cylinders is directly conducted from the rear end of the cylinder to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

8. In a torpedo, the combination of a water chamber,-means for maintaining said chamber flooded with water, a plurality of cylinders, means for flooding the cylinders with water from said water chamber, and discharging the same in succession by admitting compressed power fluid, a rearwardly directed ejection nozzle common to all the cylinders, and means whereby the water discharged from the cylinders is directly conducted from the rear ends of the cylinders to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent;

9. In a torpedo, the combination of a water chamber, means for maintaining said chamber flooded with water, a plurality of cylinders located with said Water chamber, means for supplying water to said cylinders from said water chamber, means for supplying compressed power fluid to the cylinders to expel the water, a rearwardly directed ejection nozzle common to all the cylinders, and means whereby the water discharged from the cylinders is directly conducted from the rear ends of the cylinders to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

10. In a torpedo, the combination of a water chamber, means for maintaining said chamber flooded with water, a plurality of longitudinally disposed cylinders located within said water chamber, means for supplying water tov said cylinders from said water chamber, means for supplying compressed power fluid to the cylinders to expel the water, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle common to all the cylinders, and means whereby the water dis charged from the cylinders is directly conducted from the rear ends of the cylinders to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

11. In a torpedo, the combination of a water chamber, means for maintaining said chamber flooded with water, a plurality of cylinders located within said Water chamber,

means for supplying water to said cylinders from said water chamber, a compressed power fluid supply, means for admitting the power fluid to each cylinder in succession, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle, and means whereby the water" discharged from the cylinders is directly conducted from the rear ends of the cylinders to the ejection nozzle to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

12. In a torpedo, the combination of a plurality of longitudinally disposed cylinders, means for supplying water thereto, a compressed power fluid supply, a distributing valve for admitting the power fluid to each cylinder in succession, valve actuating means driven by power derived from the torpedo, and a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the water discharged from the cylinders passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

13. In a torpedo, the combination of a longitudinally disposed cylinder, means for to expel the Water, awater outlet valve of flap form, and a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the water discharged from the cylinders passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent.

15. In a torpedo, the combination of a cylinder, means for supplying water thereto, means for supplying compressed power fluid to expel the water, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the water discharged from the cylinder passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent, a conduit leading direct from the cylinder to the ejection nozzle and comprising a rectangular portion adjacent to the cylinder, and a pair of hinged plates serving as an expansible outlet valve for the water expelled from the cylinder.

16. In a torpedo, the combination of a plurality of cylinders, means for supplying water thereto, a compressed power fluid supply, means for admitting the power fluid to each cylinder in succession, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the water discharged from the cylinders passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent,and an expansible water outlet valve presenting a clear undeflecting passage for the expelled water from each cylinder.

17. In a torpedo, the combination of a plurality of longitudinally disposed cylinders, means for supplying water thereto, a

compressed power fluid supply, means for admitting the power fluid to each cylinder in succession, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the Water discharged from the cylinders passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent, and an expansible water-outlet valve of flap form at the rear of each cylinder and between it and the ejection nozzle.

18. In a torpedo, the combination of a plurality of longitudinally disposed cylinders, means for supplying Water thereto, a compressed power fluid supply, means for admitting the power fluid to each cylinder in succession, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through which the water discharged from the cylinders passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent, a conduit leading direct from each cylinder to the ejection nozzle and comprising a rectangular portionadjacent to each cylinder, and a pair of hinged plates in each rectangular portion to serve as an expansible outlet valve of flap form for the water expelled from the cylinder. 7

19. In a torpedo, the combination of a plurality of longitudinally disposed cylinders, means for supplying water thereto, a compressed power fluid supply, means for admitting the power fluid to each cylinder in succession, a rearwardly directed axially disposed ejection nozzle through Which the water discharged from the cylinders passes to serve as the torpedo propelling agent, a conduit leading direct from each cylinder to the common ejection nozzle and comprising a rectangular portion adjacent to each cylinder, and a pair of spring-controlled hinged plates in each rectangular portion to serve as an expansible outlet valve of flap form for the water expelled from the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. DODD.

Witnesses:

GrUs. T. SYMEs, FRANCIS M. MoWLAM. 

